The Australian Research Collaboration Service (ARCS) is a newly established program that will provide underlying support to Australian researchers across all disciplines. ARCS has been funded by the Federal Government as part of the NCRIS “Platforms for Collaboration” program for a period of 4 years, and in particular is charged with the provision of the Interoperability and Collaboration Infrastructure.

ARCS was established in recognition of the fact that almost all research now has a “digital” component far beyond the mere use of a desktop PC. This rapidly growing component is now commonly referred to as “eResearch”. Scientific instruments, such as telescopes, microscopes, hydrophones, etc, are digital and produce large datasets for storage and analysis; social scientists create large datasets from transactions or from surveys; researchers often create large data sets as a result of running computer models. All of this growing wealth of digital information needs to be stored, analysed, curated and archived.

ARCS was created to establish and manage a platform where eResearch infrastructure and services are accessible to researchers through a “single logon”. ARCS manages the complexity of the underlying networks, middleware and authentication, so that the researchers can be more productive, without the need to be part time computer scientists. ARCS will provide seamless connectivity, data movement services, access to computing power, and collaboration spaces including video conferencing and eResearch consulting support.

ARCS is an unincorporated Joint Venture of 8 research support organisations — one in each state, as well as the ANU and CSIRO — and is managed by an Executive Committee of members drawn from these organisations.